ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — In about a month, there will be no more Catholic early learning centers in St. Augustine. Cathedral Parish, closing June 30, will make the second closure in two months.
Parents and teachers found out last week that they’d need to find new schools and new jobs through this letter:
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The closure came as a shock to many parents, as the school has been open for nearly 40 years. Diocese of St. Augustine superintendent, Deacon Scott Conway, told Action News Jax that money is the main reason why it’s closing.
“We’ve been subsidizing the school now for years, and next year anticipated over $200,000 would be needed to keep it open for just one more year,” Conway said. “We just cannot continue to subsidize it at that amount of money.”
The other big issue is low enrollment. He says there are currently 50 students enrolled.
“If it was full, it would be at 120. So, it’s below half capacity at this point,” Conway said.
For parents like Louie and Anna King, they didn’t see it coming.
“Big shocker,” Louie King said.
As they transition, they say it probably won’t be as easy for staff now searching for jobs. The Kings are raising money for them as a thank you for what they’ve done for their family.
“The staff have been so wonderful and supportive of all the families and so we just wanted to do what we could to give back and show our support of them,” Anna King said.
Action News Jax asked Conway if this was an abrupt decision. He says they set a deadline for March 15. If they could not meet their financial goals by then, they’d be forced to close. He says the Diocese of Savannah is now working to make sure students have places to go, and staff have new jobs.
“We’re redirecting them to other facilities in the area. With staff, we met with them already in person, and we are working on trying to help any staff members find jobs in our own system at other centers or schools,” Conway said.
He says there are several other early learning centers in the area that are not Catholic. The closest Catholic one outside of the city is about 30 minutes away.
If you want to help staff in their transition, you can find Anna and Louie’s fundraiser here: Fundraiser by Christopher King: Support St. Augustine - CELC’s Beloved Teachers and Staff
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